This invention relates generally to electrically controlled assemblies with a plurality of light emitting elements for illuminating decorations or designs on the exterior of wearing apparel such as sweatshirts or hats or other accessories and more particularly to an improved securement means for affixing each of the plurality of light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes so as to project light onto the outer surface of the wearing apparel, garment, hat or other accessory for operative relation with the decoration or design to be illuminated.
The use of light illuminating devices and assemblies having light emitting elements such as Light Emitting Diodes (LED) modules for illuminating a decoration or a design applied, painted or printed on wearing apparel, garments, hats or other accessories wherein the LED modules are fastened or otherwise affixed to the outer surface of the wearing apparel, garments, hat or other accessory for illuminating the decoration or design, are a known expedient. There exists various prior art patents which show such light illuminating devices and assemblies as well as various ways for affixing the LED modules into assembled position to accomplish the desired coaction with such decorations or designs; for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,570,206; 4,599,682; 4,709,307; 4,823,240; 4,480,293; 5,113,325; and 5,113,329.
These prior art patents each show some arrangement or device for affixing the associated light emitting units so they can be incorporated in and coact with the decoration or design on the given piece of wearing apparel, garment, hat or other accessory.
When used herein, wearing apparel is intended to mean any form of garment, hat, or other accessory on which a decoration or a design can be affixed, painted or printed and on which light emitting elements can be affixed in accordance with the present invention for the purposes of coacting with, illuminating and enhancing such decorations and designs.
The present invention provides an improved light illuminating device or assembly in which novel securement means for the light emitting element serve to positively but detachably secure the light emitting elements into assembled position relative the decoration or design on any given piece of the wearing apparel by a simple means which facilitates the positioning of the light emitting elements and readily permits removal of the light emitting elements when it is desired to clean the given piece of wearing apparel.